Come Back to Me
by MerlexAddict2017
Summary: When a late night phone call wakes her, again, she knows it's not good. Cristina heads 8,000 miles to her person after a horrible accident. This trip to Seattle opens her up to how much has really changed since she's been gone, but how much is still the same.
1. Chapter 1

I like to believe that in some universe that we don't see on tv that whenever Meredith is in trouble Cristina comes to the rescue. I know they said she came for Derek's funeral, but I still would have liked to see some story behind it, how she found out and what happened when she got there. I touched on that a little in this story, but I wanted to focus this story on Meredith's attack. I wanted to put my thoughts into what would have happened if they called Cristina after Meredith was attacked and she left Zurich to go to Seattle to be there for her. Hopefully you guys like it. Right now it's looking like this is going to be a two-shot story. I have the second part already planned out, so hopefully if you guys like this part, I'll have the second part up soon! Hope you enjoy!

*The stuff in italics is a flash back. I hope that isn't too confusing.*

* * *

It was the middle of the night and she was being woken by her phone ringing. Cristina slowly rolled over in her bed to grab her phone. When she looked at the caller id she quickly became irritated. Answering her phone with a snarky remark, she was quickly toned down by the voice of the person on the other end.

"Evil Spawn, do you have any idea…" she was unable to finish her sentence before Alex interrupted her.

"Cristina…" she could tell just by the sound of his voice that this was not a good call. Something was wrong.

"Alex, what is it? What's wrong?" he didn't respond quickly enough for her liking and she became even more worried.

"Alex, please. What happened?"

"It's Meredith…" deep down Cristina already knew it was Meredith. It was always Meredith. Whenever she got a call in the middle of the night from Seattle, it was always bad. Seattle Grace Mercy Death strikes again she thinks. Her mind instantly flashes back to the last time she got a call from Seattle in the middle of the night.

 _She had been in surgery all day and was so happy to be able to go home and get a good night sleep. She had been asleep for what seemed like minutes when she was woken by the sound of her phone ringing. She cursed whoever it was and reached to her nightstand to see who was calling at this awful hour. When she looked at the name on the phone, her heart began to race._

 _"Owen?" She hadn't heard from Owen in months, except for a few emails back and forth. Neither of them could bear to pick up the phone to call each other._

 _"I'm sorry to call so late, I know it's the middle of the night there, but umm…" Owen's inability to get to the point was worrying her._

 _"Owen, what is it? Are you ok" She could hear him breathing heavily on the other end of the phone. His voice was shaking._

 _"I'm fine. It's Meredith..." Cristina's heart sunk. She left her person. She was supposed to be ok. She needed her alive. Alex was supposed to watch out for her._

 _"What happened?" The urgency in Cristina's voice grew stronger as the conversation continued slowly._

 _"Owen…"_

 _"Derek is dead." Cristina steadied herself on the corner of her bed as she processed what Owen was telling her. She wasn't even sure if she had heard him correctly._

 _"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Cristina heard Owen sigh heavily on the other end of the phone._

 _"Derek is dead. There was an MVC last night. He was struck by a semi." Cristina knew by the pain in Owen's voice that this was real. She was not dreaming. Seattle Grace Mercy Death has taken so much from them already; she didn't think it was possible to lose anymore._

 _"Owen, I... I…Meredith?" She couldn't even compose her own thoughts. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She was lost for words. They survived so much, they were supposed to live forever._

 _"Meredith…she is, umm, honestly Cristina, she's destroyed. Devastated." Tears now streamed down her face. Tears for her person, her best friend. Her family. Not even realizing what she was doing Cristina had walked to the closet for her suitcase._

 _"Owen, I…I don't know what to say?" Owen could tell by the way Cristina was talking that she was crying. Even though they grew apart, he still knew her._

 _"Cristina, I think you should come. Meredith needs you."_

 _"I'll be on the next flight out."_

Cristina quickly came out of the trance she was in when she heard her name being called on the other end of the phone.

"Cristina…Cristina, are you there?"

"Alex, is Meredith dead?" She could hear Alex sigh heavily on the phone and his voice begin to shake.

"Oh my god, Alex. She's dead?" Her world started spinning. Tears flowed from her eyes almost instantly. Not again she thought. She couldn't lose anyone else. She couldn't take anymore. She didn't have any more goodbyes in her.

"No Cristina, she's not dead, but…" There was always a but. The but was always the scariest part.

"But what Alex? Just tell me."

"She was attacked by a patient. She's alive, but she's not doing very well. She's got so many injuries. I couldn't, I couldn't watch anymore. She has to stay alive, Cristina, I need her. I can't do this without her." Cristina could tell he was crying. The Alex she knew would never openly cry like that so she knew it must be bad.

"Alex, don't do this. You need to be with her. You are her person now and she needs you. Meredith is strong, but she needs you. Alex, I'm coming. I will be there as soon as I can, but until then you do not leave her side. Do you hear me?" She heard him take a deep breath and assumed he was trying to compose himself before responding.

"I won't leave her, but please, get here soon."

"I'll be on the next flight out, and Alex…" she could tell he hesitated before responding.

"Yeah?"

"She better be alive when I get there."

* * *

Before she knew it the flight had taken off. It had only been a few hours since Alex had called, but it seemed like it had been forever. This had only been the second time she'd taken this flight since she left Seattle, and honestly it was becoming the flight she never wanted to take. She thought about all the times she had wanted to get on a plane and go to Seattle, go home, but she just couldn't. She had so many memories there, she found her family there, the love of her life there, her passion. Seattle had given her so much, but it had also taken so much. She was sat on the plane, heading 8,000 miles to Seattle, hoping that it hadn't taken the most important thing.

When the plane landed, Cristina felt a sense of relief flood her body. The kind of relief you would feel after being in a plane crash and the plane you were in now safely landed on the runway of the airport. She got off the plane as quickly as she could, not wanting to waste any time getting to Meredith. She picked up her bags and was going to hop in a cab over to the hospital, when her eyes met with a familiar face.

"Dr. Yang, it's good to see you, even under these circumstances."

"Wilson, I didn't know anyone was coming. I could have taken a cab."

"Alex wanted someone to be here to get you. Dr. Hunt was going to come, but he got pulled into a surgery." Cristina smiled at the gesture and thanked Jo for picking her up.

The car ride to the hospital was quiet. Cristina did ask Jo about Meredith, but she had few answers. She wasn't sure if she actually didn't know, or if she had been instructed not to say anything. The closer they got to the hospital the bigger the pit in her stomach got. She was terrified what she was going to find when she walked into the hospital.

When she got to the hospital it looked exactly the same, except everything was different. When she walked in everything was exactly how she remembered. The look, the smell, the feel, it was all the same. As she walked into the ER, her eyes took in the familiar scene before they met with a familiar face.

"Cristina Yang." Cristina's eyes got soft as they met with the familiar face. She couldn't help but smile as he embraced her in a hug.

"Dr. Webber. It's very good to see you. Even under the circumstances." Cristina watched his smile fade as she brought up Meredith. She knew this had to be just as hard on him as it was for her.

"Meredith, is she umm…" Cristina didn't even finish her question. She wasn't even sure she could have even if she wanted to before her voice began to crack.

"It's ok. She's stable. They have her sedated. She can't hear anything, the blow to her head caused her eardrum to rupture, but Jackson is confident he can repair it. Her leg is broken and she's extremely bruised and swollen, but she's stable."

Cristina closed her eyes and took in what Dr. Webber was telling her. She was trying to process everything before she went up to see her. She needed to prepare herself. She was a strong person, but she wasn't sure how strong she was going to be when she seen Meredith.

"Alex is with her now. Do you want me to take you to her?" Richard asked softly.

All Cristina could do was nod at the fear of tears forming and her voice cracking.

* * *

They took the elevator to the fifth floor where the ICU was. Cristina knew the place like the back of her hand, but she still needed someone to make sure she didn't get lost. Richard placed his hand reassuringly on Cristina's shoulder.

"Meredith is strong. She's going to pull through." Richard's words were not reassuring to Cristina. She knew how strong Meredith was. She's the one who survived a bomb, a drowning, a gunman, giving birth in the dark, her husband dying and now, she had to survive this. She couldn't give up now.

When the elevator finally reached the fifth floor Cristina sighed heavily and walked towards Meredith's room. She stopped outside the window and just looked. In all the years she has known Meredith, in all the trauma she has seen, this was the worst. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Meredith. Alex was sat in a chair next to her bed, he held her hand as he rested his head on the edge of the bed. Cristina placed her hand on the window and just watched her friends in the room. She closed her eyes and tried to control her sobs before she went in. Richard opened the door for her to go in and when the door opened she stood in the door and Alex's bloodshot eyes met with hers. He let go to Meredith's hand and got up from his chair and walked towards Cristina. The two stood there and just stared at each other before Cristina leaned in and embraced him in a hug. The two were never the hugging type, especially with each other, but right now, they both needed it.

When the hug lingered on for much longer than expected, she lightened her embrace and looked at Alex. The tears in his eyes said it all.

"Alex, Meredith is so strong. She's going to pull through this." Her own words didn't even convince her, so she wasn't sure how much they helped Alex.

"I can't believe this happened to her. This morning she was fine, and now, and now look at her. I can't even recognize her. I can't lose her Cristina. I can't do this without her."

"She's our person. We need her alive, so let's make sure she stays alive." Alex nodded and placed his hand on Cristina's back as they both entered the room. Alex went back and sat in the chair on one side of the bed, while Cristina pulled a chair up to the other side. Cristina held on to Meredith's hand. She found it comforting, the warmth coming from her body. She could feel her pulse and that assured her that she was alive.

That night Cristina and Alex both slept at Meredith's bedside. Cristina had been so tired from her long trip and Alex offered to bring her to the house, as did Maggie and Bailey, but she wanted to stay with Meredith. She didn't want to leave her side. Cristina knew she was stable, but she still feared the second she left the hospital something would go terribly wrong.

Meredith made it through the night without incident. Cristina found herself checking her stats and monitors almost every half hour. As was Alex. They couldn't help it, they just wanted to make sure she stayed stable. During rounds that morning Cristina finally got a look at all Meredith's injuries and how extensive they were. Hearing what she went through was excruciating for her, but she was just happy that Meredith was alive and was expected to make a full recovery. After rounds Alex left to go get coffee for himself and Cristina and to check on a couple of his patients. Cristina stayed with Meredith, despite others offering to stay while she took a break. Maggie came and sat with Cristina for a while before heading to surgery, as did Jackson and Bailey. Cristina was happy to be around the people she missed so much, but still wished Meredith would wake up. Once she was alone again, Cristina found herself talking to Meredith.

"Mer, listen to me, you have to stay alive. You have to wake up. Zola, Bailey, Ellis, they all need you. Alex needs you, Amelia and Maggie, they need you. I need you. Please Mer, you are so strong. You can get through this." Cristina found tears on her cheeks as she spoke. She had her hand in Meredith's when she felt movement. Cristina looked up and her eyes were met with Meredith's.

"Oh my god, Mer." She stood up excitedly, happy to finally see her awake, but faced with the task of telling Meredith about her injuries. She could tell Meredith was trying to talk, trying to communicate with her, but couldn't.

"It's ok Mer. You're ok. Your mouth is wired shut, so you can't talk." Cristina could see Meredith growing more confused and then remembered Richard telling her she couldn't hear anything. Cristina quickly grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started writing things down. Meredith's eye began to fill with tears, so Cristina stopped. She wiped her tears and just held her hand. Meredith probably still didn't understand, so all she could do was be there. She woke up to Cristina hovering over her, who was supposed to be 8,000 miles away in Zurich and unable to hear anything or talk, so she had to be scared. She got the nurse to page Alex, because whether she liked it or not, Meredith needed Alex. He was her person now.

Not five minutes later Alex came running in. Meredith instantly became calmer when he entered the room. Cristina got a little sad seeing the two together, how close they'd come. She didn't expect anything less. She was the one who left, so all they had were each other. There was five of them and then three and now it was just Alex and Meredith. She signed heavily trying not to let her emotions get to her and told Alex she was going to the cafeteria to get some coffee and that she would be back soon.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed part one. Let me know what you think. I love reviews. I have the second part started, so hopefully it shouldn't take too long for me to get it up. I only intend on this being two chapters, but we'll see where I get with the next part. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed the story. I'm really glad you guys like it and I hope you enjoy this part as much.

* * *

She headed towards the cafeteria, but found herself heading somewhere else, almost subconsciously. She walked through the hospital like she never left. She found her way downstairs and made her way to the furnace room. When she opened the door, the memories flooded her. So many things had happened in that room. So many things were said. She stood in the center of the room and took it all in, waiting for the wind to come blow her problems away. When the wind finally came it blew her hair up and released all the emotions she had been holding in. Tears built up in her eyes and she could feel the sobs forming deep within her stomach. She stood there with her head in her hands trying, but failing to control her emotions. She turned around to find the door opening and coming face to face with Owen. She had been in Seattle for almost two days and this was the first time she had seen him. She wasn't sure if she had been avoiding him, or if he had been avoiding her, or maybe both, but seeing him made her feel even more. She was feeling things she didn't want to feel. She could tell he was startled by her presence. He wasn't expecting her to be there.

"Cristina, I, umm, I didn't know. How are you?" He just stared at her. She looked so broken. When she finally lifted her head from her hands the truth came out in her eyes.

"Oh my god, Cristina, are you ok?" She looked at him with a dumbfounded face. Clearly she wasn't ok. He should be able to tell that by looking at her.

She shook her head and before she had any time to react Owen ran over and wrapped her up in his arms. The familiar feeling of Owen's body against hers, his warmth, made her relax a little, but also made her emotions explode. She missed him. She would never admit it, but she did. He rubbed his hand up and down her back and wiped her tears from her eyes. Once he could feel her breathing steady he lightened his grip and brushed her hair from her face and looked into her eyes. He missed her so much, though he wouldn't admit it either.

"Meredith is going to be fine. She's strong. She'll pull through." He reassured that Cristina knew this, even though she didn't look convinced.

"I know she'll be fine. She woke up this morning and she couldn't talk and she couldn't hear and the only thing that would calm her down was Alex." Owen looked at her sympathetically knowing how hard that must have been for her.

"I came 8,000 miles and she didn't even need me. Alex is her person now."

"No Cristina, that's not true. Right now Alex is just familiar to her. She's hurt and scared and when she woke up and you were the only one there, she was probably very confused. She still needs you and she still loves you. You'll always be her person."

The tears were steady flow from Cristina's eyes. No matter how hard she tried, they just wouldn't stop. She tried to compose herself. If not for her, then for Owen. Owen didn't need this. He wasn't her husband anymore. Of course, she still loved him and always would, but he didn't need this. When she finally got herself together and wiped her eyes, she found Owen just staring at her.

"Cristina, what can I do? Do you need anything?" She let out a slight laugh thinking yeah, there's probably a lot you could do, but at the same time there was nothing.

"Just being here helps." Owen smiled and nodded at the request and suggested they go get some coffee. He knew Cristina had been awake for hours and coffee would help her.

The two walked side by side to the cafeteria. They made small talk as they walked, asking each other about surgeries and medicine. They were both trying to avoid asking about each other. They both had questions, but they were both afraid to ask.

When they got to the cafeteria, Cristina took in the all too familiar scene. She had so many memories here. The last time she was in Seattle she hadn't stepped foot in the hospital, so the memories were flooding her now. Owen came over and handed her a coffee and motioned towards a table where Bailey, Ben, Maggie, Richard and Amelia were sat. Cristina smiled at the group as she sat down next to Bailey. She placed her hand reassuringly on Cristina's shoulder knowing how hard this must be for her.

"How are you doing Cristina? Meredith's awake, so that must be a relief." Miranda could see that bringing up Meredith hit a sore spot for Cristina. The Cristina she knew would be all over talking about Meredith, bossing people around, making sure that Meredith had everything she needed. This was not the Cristina that she knew sat here. Miranda's eyes met with Owen's which told her to investigate the situation further.

"Cristina, can you come with me? We should go for a walk." Cristina looked at Bailey, irritated at the request, but when she looked at Owen he gave her a reassuring nod, indicating that she should go with Bailey.

* * *

The two left the cafeteria and walked the hallways of the hospital. They walked in silent for a long time before Cristina finally spoke up.

"You know Dr. Bailey, when I left here two years ago, I never imagined…I never imagined how screwed up life would get. I honestly thought all the bad stuff was over. We survived unimaginable things, and still we cannot escape disaster. It still seems like yesterday I got the call that Derek died, and now I get another call that Meredith was attacked. When will it stop? Will there ever be enough disasters?" Miranda looked at her sympathetically. Inside her own mind she was thinking the same thing. She had five interns, and those five interns and especially the three that remained have faced more disasters then anyone could imagine. Why were they so attracted to disaster?

"I wonder myself all the time why so many bad things happen. In the last twelve years we have been faced with more disasters than we can count on our two hands, but, we've also overcome more disasters then we can count on our two hands. And that is something to be proud of. Even with all the bombs, and shootings and plane crashes and car accidents, we're still stood here. We're still alive and Meredith, she's still alive. She's been through more than any of us and she's still alive, and she's going to stay alive. But she needs her people and you are her person. She needs you to be there for her. Alex has taken great care of her since you left and especially since Derek's been gone, but he can't replace you. You're her twisted sister, she needs you."

Cristina tried to control the tears that threatened to escape her eyes, but she couldn't. These were tears for Meredith, tears for herself. Tears she had been holding in for too long, which was ironic because she hadn't stopped crying in the last two days. Miranda noticed the devastation in Cristina's small figure and without warning embraced her in a hug. She knew Cristina needed it and was reassured of that when she hugged back.

"It's ok to be sad that she's fine without you. She's making it without you, but you're making it without her too. Know that it took her a long time to be ok without you. You leaving was not easy for her. But she's fine and she's going to be ok. Let's go see her." Cristina nodded at Dr. Bailey's idea and the two of them walked towards Meredith's room together

They made their way back up to the ICU just in time to see Jackson inside talking to Alex. Meredith looked to be sleeping again, which was good, she needed the rest. When Alex noticed Cristina and Bailey stood outside he motioned for them both to come in. He knew by looking at Cristina that she was upset, but he didn't push it. Not yet. They all listened to Jackson and took in what he was saying. He thought Meredith was stable enough now, so he wanted to go up and try to repair the damage to her ears and remove the wires in her mouth. All four doctors agreed that it was a good time, so they got Meredith prepped and Cristina and Alex both wheeled Meredith to the OR where Jackson and April were waiting. He assured them everything would be fine and would update them as soon as possible. Both Cristina and Alex nodded and thanked him.

The two walked back to Meredith's room in silence. Alex knew he needed to talk to Cristina, but he didn't want to upset her even more, but he thought not saying anything at all was worse.

"Cristina, are you ok? You left really quickly this morning and you never came back." Cristina studied his concerned look before thinking of how to respond.

"Alex I didn't know what to do. Meredith woke up and she couldn't talk and she couldn't hear anything and the first thing she sees is me? I mean the last time she seen me her husband had just died so like I'm kind of associated with disasters now. I only show up for the disasters. I didn't know how to comfort her and the second you walk in she calms down. She doesn't need me anymore. She has you. You're her person now." Alex could hear the pain in Cristina's voice and see the tears in her eyes. This is not what he wanted. He never wanted to take Cristina's place. He couldn't take her place. He was just trying to be there for Meredith. He was the only one left. There was five of them and he was the only one left. It was his job to look after Meredith. Cristina left him that job.

"Cristina, I didn't mean…Meredith needs you. She hasn't stopped needing you. She talks about you all the time. If something funny happens, or something bad, her first thought is always 'I wish Cristina were here.' You left her to me, to take care of her, but look what happens. Her husband died, and you came to be there for her. It was your hand she held, your shoulder she cried on and the second you left, she took off. There was nothing I could do. She was gone for almost a year and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't help her. She wouldn't let me in. But now, now that she's here, I'm doing everything in my power to keep her happy, keep her alive. Disaster follows Meredith Grey like a shadow and I'm trying my hardest to keep the sun shining so the shadow stays away." Cristina didn't even realize how hard this had been on Alex. She was being so selfish that she never even thought of his feelings. He was doing everything he could. The same thing she would be doing if she was there.

"Alex, I'm sorry. You're right, trying to keep Meredith Grey alive can be hard sometimes. It's like she has a magnetic pull towards disasters. But you being there for her means everything to her. Don't think I don't know, because I do. I may live 8,000 miles away but me and Meredith still talk. I know all about how you take care of the kids and do car pool and make waffles, all the things you swore you would never do. You've done good Alex. Evil Spawn has done good." Cristina could see the gratitude in his eyes. He didn't know that Meredith had told her all that stuff, he didn't even think it was a big deal.

This time it was Alex who pulled Cristina into a hug first. Believe it or not he actually missed Cristina. He was glad she was back. He was glad he had her to go through this with him. He needed her to be there, for both Meredith and him. They both knew Meredith still had a while in surgery and Alex had an idea that might help Cristina.

"Hey, do you want to go see the kids? Amelia dropped them off at daycare this morning, so we could go up and see them." Cristina smiled at the offer and nodded eagerly. Believe it or not, she missed the kids like crazy and had only ever seen Ellis over FaceTime, so she was happy to finally get to meet her.

* * *

The two walked up to daycare together. They walked in and Zola eyed Alex first. She ran towards him before realizing Cristina was there when she sped towards Cristina even faster.

"Aunt Cristina, what are you doing here?" The young girl was so excited to see Cristina. She wrapped her arms around her neck and squeezed her so tight.

"I missed you baby girl. I wanted to come see you. You're getting so big." Zola's eyes beamed at Cristina, she was so happy she was there. Bailey also came over to acknowledge Cristina's presence, but he wasn't as enthused as Zola. Alex had left to go to the nursery to get Ellis while Cristina reunited with the other two kids.

When he returned, Cristina's eyes were met with Ellis. She had soft blond curls, just like her mother and her blue eyes, just like her father's. She was so petite. She was perfect. FaceTime could never show just how beautiful she actually was. Cristina walked over and spoke softly to the little girl. The baby smiled when she spoke, so Cristina was confident she recognized her voice from their FaceTime calls. Alex handed Ellis to Cristina who was in awe over the baby. Ellis took to Cristina right away, cuddling right into her. Cristina took the baby and went and sat closer to where Zola and Bailey were playing. She sat down next to Alex. The two smiled at each other.

"They're pretty great kids." Alex spoke up and said.

"They're lucky to have you. It's good they have someone like you in their lives. Someone who loves them, just as much…" Cristina stopped midsentence when she realized what she was going to say.

"As much as Derek?" Alex knew exactly where she was going with her thought. She nodded at his response.

"I would do anything for these kids. They are my life. I'll never measure up to their dad, but I'll do everything in my power to make sure they're taken care of and loved." Cristina smiled at Alex. She was so proud of him. He had grown up so much.

The two of them sat in the daycare for a while before Alex's pager went off. It was Jackson, so they both needed to go. Cristina and Alex both kissed all three kids and promised they would come back later. Zola waved as she watched Alex and Cristina walk down the hall. They met Jackson just outside Meredith's room. Cristina could see through the window that she was still asleep, but felt at ease as Jackson explained that he was confident her hearing would return and that the injury to her jaw wasn't as bad as they had expected and were able to remove the wires. He expected her to make a full recovery.

Cristina and Alex both sat at Meredith's bedside for the next few hours. She still wasn't awake, but they both knew it could be a while before she woke up. Alex decided that he was going to go get the kids and take them home for the night and come back. Cristina agreed that was best and said she would stay with Meredith. Cristina assured him she would call if anything happened and that she would also rest while he was gone.

Thankfully she was able to get a bit of rest while Alex was gone. The quiet buzzing of the monitors around her were calming to her. She felt peaceful for the first time in days as she sat in the chair next to Meredith's bed. It wasn't until she heard an unfamiliar noise and felt movement that she was actually startled awake from her sleep.

"Cristina…" She could hear her name being called softly. Although the sound was quiet, to Cristina it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know I said the story was only going to be two chapters, but I got a little carried away, so be ready for a third one! Let me know what you guys think. I love reviews! And if you have any suggestions on something you'd like me to cover in the next chapter, please let me know! Hopefully I get the next, and final chapter up soon! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone for the reviews and follows and faves. I appreciate each and every one of them. They make me so eager to write the next chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. There's going to be a lot of friendship moments and relationship moments in this chapter. I hope everyone is on Team Crowen as much as I am, because Crowen is definietly alive in this chapter. For anyone who is concerned, for the purpose of this story, Owen and Amelia are not together and they never were. I don't want anyone thinking that Owen is cheating on Amelia because he's definitely would never do that.**

 **Hope everyone enjoys!**

* * *

Cristina sat up in her chair slowly, as she did not want to frighten Meredith again. When she finally gathered the courage to look her in the eyes, the reaction was much different than last time. She felt relief. Meredith was evidently sore from the trauma she had endured and found it difficult to speak and was somewhat hard to understand, but she tried her best to get out what she wanted to say.

"Cristina, what…are you…doing here?" Cristina was so relieved to hear her voice.

"Alex called me. You weren't doing good. I thought I was going to lose you Mer…" Her voice trailed off as she could feel the tears filling her own eyes again, as well as Meredith's. It was almost as if hearing her voice made her forget everything that had happened. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered, except that Meredith was awake, talking and could hear what she was saying.

Cristina could still tell that Meredith didn't understand exactly what had happened. She could remember some things; she could remember waking up in the ER and everyone crowded around her. She could remember having trouble breathing and her leg hurting, and Jackson setting her jaw in place, but after that she couldn't remember anything until she woke up and couldn't talk and could hear. She could also remember waking up and Cristina being there, but thought she was imagining things.

"You were here? The other day, that was you?" Cristina felt relief as she realized that Meredith didn't remember their encounter from a few days prior.

"I was Mer. You were pretty upset, but Alex was able to calm you down."

"Alex. Where...Where is Alex?" Meredith was instantly searching the room for Alex, although she knew if he was there she would know.

"He went home with the kids. I texted him and told him you were awake. He will be back soon." Cristina could see relief in Meredith's eyes and then she could see sadness.

"Mer, what is it? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Meredith shook her head as tears began to flow from her eyes.

"The kids… Are they ok? I'm all they have left. If they had lost me…" Her voice trailed off at the thought of her kids losing her. They had already lost one parent; they couldn't lose another.

"Meredith stop. The kids are not going to lose you. You're right here and you're not going anywhere. They're fine. I was with them yesterday. They are fine, Zola is getting so big and Bailey, he's going to be just like Derek and Ellis…Ellis is perfect. She recognized me." Meredith gave a slight smile as Cristina spoke of her kids. The kids, especially Zola missed Cristina. Zola would ask about her all the time, so there was no doubt that Zola was over the moon excited when Cristina showed up.

Cristina could see how fearful Meredith was. She was afraid of dying. She had been through so much, has seen so much death that even the thought of dying was enough to kill her. Thinking of what she would leave behind was too much. Cristina recalled the time that Meredith offered her life to a gunman, just so she wouldn't have to live without Derek. Cristina grabbed onto Meredith's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Cristina thought about all the times she had been in this situation with Meredith. There have been too many times. She has almost lost Meredith too many times. Without saying a word, Cristina climbed into the bed next to Meredith. She wasn't even sure if Meredith wanted her there, but Cristina wasn't giving her the option. When Meredith moved over for Cristina and placed her hand on hers, Cristina was reassured. Cristina felt a sense of relief. Cristina laid her head onto Meredith's shoulder and the two lay there together, as they had done many times before. They didn't say anything. They didn't need too. Just being next to each other was all they needed. Cristina was instantly reassured of their friendship. Even though so much has changed, somethings never would. Before they knew it, they had both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was hours later before Cristina woke up. She had been so exhausted. It was the first time she really slept since she arrived in Seattle. When she opened her eyes, they met with Alex's. Meredith was still sleeping, so she slowly climbed out of the bed, trying not to wake her. Alex let out a small chuckle as she composed herself.

"Alex, how long have you been there?" Cristina looked at him somewhat annoyed for not waking her.

"Oh just a couple hours. I didn't want to wake you. It was the first time you've slept in four days. You needed that." Cristina smiled at Alex and thanked him for looking out for her. She admitted that she did need the rest and knowing that Meredith was going to be fine, made sleeping a little easier.

"She's scared Alex." Alex looked at Cristina confused, unsure of what she was talking about.

"What do you mean."

"Meredith. She's scared. She almost died…again and she's afraid that one of these days it's going to happen for real. She's lost so much, but she still has so much to lose and she's afraid she's going to lose it." Alex's face turned grim at the thought of all that Meredith Grey has lost. He knows Meredith better than anyone and just thinking of all she's lost saddens him. He's trying so hard to minimize the storms that head towards Meredith, but it's so hard. Disaster is so attracted to her.

"When she woke up, all she wanted to know about was you and the kids. She was so scared of her kids being alone, and you. She doesn't want you to be alone. You both need each other." Cristina could see it in Alex's eyes that he was scared as well. He needed Meredith more than anything and the thought of losing her was devastating to him. He wouldn't make it without her. She was his rock. Cristina went over and laid her hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Right now Meredith isn't going anywhere. Meredith is going to die when she's like 106, warm and in her bed. She's not going before that. She has more guardian angels than anyone else on this Earth and they won't take her. They won't let her die." Alex let out a sigh. Cristina wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of fear, but it was better than nothing. Sometimes being scared was good because it meant they still had something to lose. It was funny because Cristina had had this exact conversation with Derek almost four years ago.

Before long Cristina realized that she really needed some coffee so she left Alex and went to the cafeteria to get coffee for the both of them. She walked to the cafeteria and got two cups of coffee. As she was heading back towards Meredith's room she found herself face to face with Owen again.

"Cristina. How are you today?" He smiled at her awkwardly, but she could tell he was eager to talk to her. She played it cool, but deep down she was happy to run into him again.

"Meredith woke up. She can talk and she can hear. I was so happy to hear her voice. I missed it. I missed her." Tears began to fill up in Cristina's eyes, except this time she was able to stop them before they fell. Owen was quick to notice this and grabbed ahold of Cristina's hand.

"Hey, it's ok. She's fine now. She's going to be fine. I know she misses you too and I know she's glad you're here. I know I am." Cristina looked up at Owen and looked deep into his eyes. This is exactly what she had been afraid of with Owen. She was afraid of this. Afraid of her feelings and his feelings. She knew they could get carried away way too easily, but she also thought that maybe she needed to. When she left Seattle three years ago, she left a piece of her heart there. That piece of her heart was with Owen. It always would be. No matter how hard she tried, it would always be Owen. No one would ever live up to Owen.

She continued to look deep into his eyes. She wanted everything that was in them. She was afraid her feelings were one sided, but was reassured that they weren't when Owen pulled her in closer. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers and his hand on her back. She could feel her breathing become heavy when she realized where she was and what she was doing.

"Owen. Not here. We can't do this here." The two had been stood in a hallway in the middle of the hospital where anyone could walk up and see them. Owen nodded and grabbed her hand again and headed towards an on call room.

They found the nearest on call room, ensured it was empty and went in and locked the door. Cristina was surprisingly nervous. She didn't know why. It definitely wasn't the first time her and Owen had done anything in an on call room, but she was still nervous. Owen looked at her, deep into her eyes. He had his hands on her hips and she could feel the urge to touch him growing deep within her. Before she knew it their lips were locked. The passion radiated through her body. The warmth from Owen found its way to her body. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They made their way over to the bed. Owen looked at her, deep into her eyes, right into her soul almost making sure she was ok before he went any further. When she nodded and continued the embrace, Owen knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted her. Everything about her. Nothing compared to Cristina. He missed her. Since the second she left, he missed her and right now he was going to make up for every moment he missed her.

The two spent the next hour in the on call room. While it had been three years since the two had been together, it was like nothing had changed. They picked up right where they left off. They lay in bed together just staring at each other, feeling the warmth from each other's body. Thinking to herself Cristina let out a small chuckle, thinking how she managed to get here. Honestly, she had wanted to avoid Owen. She didn't want to feel feelings. She knew they were there because they never left, but she didn't want to feel them anymore. But now that she was here, with Owen, he was the only thing she wanted. Owen looked at her and took her hand in his and kissed it. He could tell she was deep in thought.

"Cristina, what is it? Are you ok?" He knew she was deep in thought. Her eyes were looking right at him, but her mind was somewhere else.

"Cristina…" This time the sound of his voice broke her from her trance.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, just thinking." She lied, she wasn't completely fine. She was confused.

"What are you thinking about?" Owen was pretty sure he knew, but he still wanted to know.

"I'm thinking about how screwed up this is. How bad I want this. How bad I want you, but I can't have any of it because in a few days I have to go back to Zurich and it all goes away again. I go there, you stay here and we both live our separate lives. Maybe we'll send each other an email once a month, but that's it. I miss you Owen and I still love you. I try not to, but I do." Owen's eyes widened at Cristina's confession. That is not what he thought she was thinking about. He wasn't even sure how to respond to her, but he knew the only way was to share his feelings.

"Cristina, I have never stopped loving you. Even when you thought I did, I didn't. I have always loved you and always will. I know we had a difficult relationship, but you were everything to me. I'm sorry life got in the way. I'm sorry that it took something like Meredith getting attacked to bring you back here. To bring you back to me. But even if this is all that we get, I'm so glad that we got this today. I needed this more than I realized." Cristina leaned in and gave him a kiss. There was no denying the passion between the both of them. Even after being apart for three years, there was still so much chemistry.

* * *

After being alone for what seemed like a lifetime Cristina and Owen finally got up, got dressed and headed back towards Meredith's room together. When they entered the room Alex was gone and Meredith was there alone. When Cristina and Owen entered the room together, Meredith looked at them both suspiciously.

"Cristina, where were you? Alex is gone looking for you. He said you went for coffee over two hours ago." Cristina smiled awkwardly and looked at her watch. She really didn't realize that she had been gone that long and that she had not returned with coffee.

"Oh, I ran into Owen in the cafeteria and we just sat down talking and lost track of time." Cristina knew that Meredith knew she was lying, but she was trying to play it off, at least until Owen left the room. Owen took this opportunity to change the subject and ask Meredith how she was feeling.

"How are you feeling Grey? You look like you're doing much better." Meredith nodded before responding.

"Now that I can talk and hear what is going on around me, I'm doing much better. I won't be on my feet for a while, but given what happened, I'll take that over the alternative." Owen smiled in agreement.

"Well I'm glad to hear that. I have to get back to work, so I'll leave you to." Both Meredith and Cristina smiled and said goodbye to Owen. He barely had his foot out the door before Meredith started integrating Cristina.

"Cristina, what was that?" Cristina looked at Meredith, but wouldn't look her in the eye.

"What do you mean what was that? That was Owen." Cristina knew that Meredith knew what was going on, but she also didn't want to easily admit it.

"Cristina, you and Owen did it didn't you. You had sex." Cristina looked at Meredith and gave her a slightly awkward smile. She let out a small chuckle remembering what she had done.

"Cristina, you live 8,000 miles away. You can't do this. It's not fair to you or to Owen." Cristina's tone changed and Meredith knew instantly. Deep down Cristina knew she shouldn't have done what she did, but it was also everything she wanted. Meredith motioned for Cristina to come sit next to her on the bed.

Cristina sighed heavily and made her way over next to Meredith. While Meredith had improved a lot in the last four days, Cristina still had to be careful of her leg and her arms and she was still connected to a lot of wires. Cristina knew how to get next to Meredith without hurting her or disconnecting anything and easily found her way next to Meredith.

Cristina knew that once Meredith started talking she was going to get emotional, so the two lay there for a while in silence. After a while Cristina finally realized that she needed to say something.

"I love him, Mer. I try so hard not to, but I do. Life got in the way for us, but the feelings were always there." Meredith knew that leaving Owen was one of the hardest things Cristina ever had to do. She also knew that since Cristina left Owen wasn't the same, and she knew he was lonely, but she also knew that Cristina living in Zurich was not going to help their relationship.

"Cristina, you can't do this to yourself. This is only going to make things harder. I know since you left Owen has been lonely, and I know he misses you too, but that's it. There's nothing either of you can do about it now. It can't be Cristina and Owen anymore." Cristina looked at Meredith in agreement. She knew her and Owen were done. She knew the second she left Seattle they were done, but she couldn't deny that she had fun with him today. She never forgot what sex with Owen was like, but she knew that secret sex with Owen was much more fun.

* * *

The two sat in silence for another few minutes before Alex walked back in. Cristina and Meredith could tell instantly that he looked worn out and was a little out of breath. When he seen Meredith and Cristina both in the room, he stopped to catch his breath before saying anything.

"Yang, where have you been? I searched every inch of this damn hospital looking for you. I even checked the OR's cause I figured you found something that you wanted to operate on." Cristina and Meredith both just looked at him and started to laugh. He looked back at both of them irritated, still not knowing where Cristina had been or what was going on.

"I'm sorry Alex. I went for coffee and I ran into Owen, and the two of us ended up talking and just lost track of time." Alex looked at Cristina, still somewhat irritated with her but accepted her answer…until Meredith spoke up.

"And when Cristina says she lost track of time talking to Owen, she really means she lost track of time having sex with Owen…" Alex's eyes widened, and Cristina hide her head in her hands. The three of them sat there in silence before the uncontrollable laughter bounced off the walls of the room. The laughter became therapeutic to them. The three needed this more than they needed anything.

The three sat there talking for the next few hours. It was the first time that they had really gotten a chance to talk to each other and catch up. They talked about life and Cristina told them all about living in Zurich and all the research and surgeries she was doing. Meredith talked about the kids and how much life has changed in the last few years. Alex talked about how his life has changed and about him and Jo. He knew he screwed things up with her and both Cristina and Meredith agreed that he needed to swallow his pride and make things right with Jo because the two were perfect for each other. It had gotten really late in the night and Meredith had fallen asleep and Cristina and Alex were just sat there when Cristina's phone went off. She told Alex she would be right back as she left to take the call.

Cristina was gone for several minutes before she returned. When she walked back into the room, she didn't even have to say a word. Alex knew by the look on her face what was going on.

"You have to leave don't you?" Cristina let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Apparently there's been a problem with a couple of patients that are in our clinical trial. Shane is taking care of them for now, but they need me back as soon as possible."

"When do you leave? Should we wake Mer?"

"No, I don't leave until tomorrow night, so let her sleep. I'll go to the house now so I can say goodbye to the kids. I know they're asleep now, but I'll sleep there for a few hours and say goodbye in the morning before I come back here. I'll tell Meredith when I get back in the morning."

"Ok, I'll see you in the morning." Cristina gathered her things and left. She has said goodbye so many times, but it never gets easier. Saying goodbye tomorrow was definitely going to be hard.

* * *

 **So I know last chapter I said this would be the last one, but I have one more in the works. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Also, if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see in the lsat chapter, please let me know. I love hearing your input! I have the last chapter started, so hopefully that one will be up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here we go, here's the last chapter! It took me a little longer than expected to get it up, but here it is. I was extremely motivated and then after Thursday night and the events of Grey's I was a little sad and lost some motivation. But I'm loving already where this new season is going (as long as they don't hurt my sweet Amelia), so hopefully that will give me some motivation for some new stories. But for now, enjoy this final chapter!**

* * *

By the time Cristina got back to the house it was almost 3am. She entered quietly, trying not to wake anyone or scare anyone. She sat on the couch in the living room and just looked around. She thought of all the memories she had in this house before falling asleep. She was woken in the morning by the noise of tiny feet on the floor and her name being called in the distance.

"Aunt Maggie, why is Aunt Cristina asleep on our couch?" Maggie laughed at the young girl's question.

"I'm not sure Zo, but let's find out." Zola nodded in agreement and went over and shook Cristina awake.

"Aunt Cristina, wake up." When Cristina opened her eyes, she was met with Zola's smiling face and Zola instantly wrapped her arms around Cristina.

"Hey Zozo, did you sleep good?" Zola nodded and held tight to Cristina as she thought of her next question.

"Aunt Cristina, why are you sleeping on the couch? We do have beds." Cristina laughed at the little girl's question and took a moment before responding.

"It was really late when I got here last night and I wanted to see you. I have to leave today and go back to Zurich." Cristina tried to keep her composure as she seen the tears fill Zola's eyes.

"I don't want you to leave. You just got here." Tears now streamed down Zola's face as Cristina tried to control the tears that threatened to fall from her own eyes.

"I know Zo, I'm so sorry. I don't want to leave you, but there's people back in Zurich that need me to fix their hearts." Maggie went and grabbed a tissue and gave it to Zola. She had an extra one that she handed to Cristina, who gave Maggie a grateful smile. Maggie also made a suggestion, trying to make the situation easier for both Zola and Cristina.

"Zo, how about we go get your brother and sister so Aunt Cristina can say goodbye to them too before she goes." Zola let out a slight sob, but listened to Maggie's request and headed upstairs. Cristina thanked Maggie for trying to make this easier for her. Cristina hadn't been around Maggie much, but she knew that the times she was there, she didn't make Maggie's life very easy. She also knew that Maggie really stepped up for Meredith and the kids and Cristina was greatful to her for that.

A few minutes passed and Zola reentered the room with Bailey and Ellis in tow. Zola walked Bailey and Ellis over to the couch and sat next to Cristina. Cristina held Ellis in her lap, while Zola and Bailey each sat on the side of her. She hugged into Ellis, while Zola laid her head on Cristina's shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Cristina's eyes met with Maggie's, and by just a look Maggie knew it was time. The longer they let this go on, the harder it would be for all of them. Cristina kissed Ellis on the head and handed her to Maggie. She then picked Bailey up and gave him a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before setting him down. She then turned to Zola. The little girl knew what was coming and sobs had taken over her body. Cristina picked Zola up and held her on her lap. Cristina looked into Zola's eyes as the tears flowed and this time she couldn't help the tears that escaped her own eyes. Cristina squeezed Zola tight and when she released she wiped the tears from Zola's eyes.

"Zo, I promise I'll call you all the time, ok? We can FaceTime whenever you want. I'll always be there for you. I'm just a phone call away. I love you." Zola sniffled her tears and wrapped her arms around Cristina's neck one last time.

"I love you too Aunt Cristina." That was Cristina's cue to leave. She couldn't put it off any longer, as it would be too hard on the kids, but too hard on her too. She blew kisses to all three kids as they watched Cristina walk out the door. She turned around one last time before leaving to see Zola wiping her tears and holding on to Bailey's hand while Ellis sat on the floor in front of them.

* * *

Cristina took the car ride back to the hospital to get her emotions under control. Cristina was a strong person, or as strong as she could be, but she still hated goodbyes. They never get easier. When Cristina arrived back at the hospital, she took a minute to herself before entering. She wanted to be strong. She wasn't sure how much strong she had left, but she knew for Meredith's sake she had to be strong. She walked into the hospital and took the elevator back up to the fifth floor. She stopped outside Meredith's room and just watched for a few minutes before entering, just like she had done almost a week ago. Except this time, the sight on the other side of the window was a lot easier to look at. Meredith was starting to look like Meredith again. Sure, she still had a long way to go, and she would still be in that bed for a while, but knowing that she could talk and hear and was on the road to recovery was enough to put Cristina at ease.

When Cristina finally walked in Alex and Meredith stopped the conversation they were having. Cristina first looked at Alex, who with just a facial expression let her know that Meredith still did not know she was leaving. Then she looked at Meredith. In all the years that Cristina and Alex and Meredith have been friends, they have been able to communicate through facial expressions. Meredith noticed the look Alex gave Cristina and she instantly knew something was up.

"What's going on? Why are you guy looking at each other like that?" Alex and Cristina both let out a sigh before Cristina spoke.

"Mer I have to leave…" Meredith's face turned from being fearful to sadness. She knew Cristina wasn't going to stay forever. She knew eventually she would have to leave and go back to Zurich, but she wasn't ready. She was never ready for the goodbyes. No matter how long Cristina was there, whether it was a day or a year, she would never be ready to say goodbye.

"Do you have to go right now?"

"No, I still have a few hours and I'll stay with you until I have to leave." Meredith was happy she still had Cristina for a few more hours. The last time Cristina had been in Seattle was completing different. She was there for almost three weeks and Meredith barely remembered her being there. Sure this time Meredith was stuck in the hospital, but least her and Cristina were able to talk and catch up.

Alex left the room so Meredith and Cristina could have some alone time. Cristina sat in a chair next to Meredith's bed for the next few hours while the two just talked. They talked about anything and everything.

"Cristina, do you promise that we will talk all the time. I know we said before we would talk but sometimes things happen and we don't get to, but I need you to promise this time that we will talk."

"I promise. I told Zola she could call anytime that she wanted and I would talk to you guys all the time."

"Oh god Cristina, you know she's going to want to call you every day right?" Cristina chuckled at the thought of Zola harassing Meredith to let her call.

"That's fine. If she calls and I'm in surgery or something, she can watch. It will help her for when she goes to medical school." Meredith smiled at Cristina.

"And how do you know she even wants to go to medical school?"

"I mean it is in her genes, both her parents are…were amazing surgeons, but she also told me." Meredith smiled at Cristina, curious as to when Zola told her that.

"She told you?" Cristina nodded.

"When Derek died…" Meredith took a deep breath, unsure if she was ready to hear what Cristina was going to tell her.

"She told me that her mommy and daddy save so many people, but now that her dad is gone, she's going to have to help save all the people that he isn't going to be able to save anymore because he's gone." Tears filled Meredith's eyes. She had no idea Zola told Cristina that. Sure, she had expressed interest in being a doctor, but she never put much thought into why. She figured it was just because it was all she knew, but that little girl had found a way to give it a greater meaning.

"Oh Cristina, those kids keep me alive. I would be lost without them." Cristina grabbed Meredith's hand and squeezed it.

"You all have to come visit me in Zurich. You and the kids and Alex, you all have to come. You would love it there. It's so beautiful." Meredith smiled at Cristina and nodded.

"One day, we will all come. The kids will love it."

* * *

The two continued their conversation talking about whatever they could think of. They knew the time was coming and Cristina would have to leave but neither were prepared. Neither of them were ready to say goodbye again. A little while passed and Alex finally returned. When he entered the room both Cristina and Meredith looked at him with grim looks on their faces because they both knew what his return meant.

"I hate to break up the party, but Cristina, you got to get going if you don't want to miss your flight." Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked at both Meredith and Alex.

"Wait! There's one more thing we have to do before you leave." Cristina, who was trying to control her emotions looked at Meredith wondering what she needed.

"30 second dance party." Cristina's eyes widened and a huge smile came across her face. Meredith motioned for Alex to pass her her phone so she could get a song. Even though Meredith was unable to actually get up and dance, it didn't matter. She found a song and the three of them were moving to the music and the two women laughing at Alex, who reluctantly danced when Cristina grabbed onto his hands. It was the fastest 30 second dance party they ever had it seemed. When the music came to a stop, the three looked at each other and let out a sigh. They knew it was time.

Cristina went over and sat on the bed next to Meredith. She couldn't hide the tears anymore. Neither of them could. Cristina leaned in and hugged Meredith tight. She hugged her so tight, hoping that the next time they seen each other it wouldn't be like this. When they finally let go of each other, they both had red eyes and tear stained cheeks. Alex stood and watched, knowing how hard this was for the both of them. He picked up Cristina's bag off the floor for her and handed to her. Cristina leaned in and gave him a hug. He hadn't realized how hard it was going to be for him to say goodbye as well. Cristina had been there less than a week, but he was so glad she had come. He probably wouldn't have made it the first few days without her. Alex offered to take Cristina to the airport, but she declined, noting that it would just make things harder. It was easier for her to just go on her own. Cristina let out a sigh and headed towards the door. Before she left she turned around one more time and looked at Meredith.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life. The strength you have inside radiates through your body. You are strong and brilliant and have an extraordinary mind. Don't let anyone push you around ever again. You are my person and I need you alive. You make me brave; you make me want to be better." Tears streamed down Meredith's face. Cristina tried to control hers until she got out of the room. She waved to Meredith who looked at Cristina and then looked at Alex before she spoke up.

"Go with her Alex. Make sure she actually leaves and doesn't miss her flight." Alex looked at Meredith and nodded before he followed Cristina out the door.

* * *

The two walked down the hall towards the elevators. Alex handed a tissue to Cristina that he had grabbed on the way out of the looked at him gratefully, but also a little embarrassed. They were supposed to be the tough ones, but all Alex has seen Cristina do this week is cry. When they finally made their way to the lobby, Cristina let out a sigh as she told Alex this is as far as he got. Any farther and it would be harder for her to leave. Alex opened his arms and pulled Cristina in a tight hug. Tears began to fill his eyes, though he tried to hide it. Cristina squeezed him tight before lightening her grip and speaking.

"Alex, you have grown into one hell of a man. You have stepped up for Meredith in ways that I honestly never thought you could. It is so much easier for me to go back to Zurich knowing she has you here. Keep her safe Alex. Make sure she's happy and taken care of and make sure those kids are happy. They need you, they all do. Meredith wouldn't be able to do it without you. You're her person." Alex looked at Cristina and wiped a tear from his eye. He tried to hide it, although Cristina saw. She pulled him in for one final hug and said goodbye. Alex waved as she walked out the door.

* * *

As she exited the hospital she was faced with sadness that she was leaving her friends and the place she called home for so long, but at the same time she felt relief that she was done with the goodbyes. Or at least she thought she was done with goodbyes until she heard her name being called and Owen running towards her.

"Cristina, wait." When Cristina turned around she could see Owen running in her direction. She breathed a heavy sigh at the thought of this just getting more and more difficult as the time went on. When he finally caught up to her he was breathing heavily, but smiling.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left. I didn't want you to leave before I got a chance to say goodbye." Cristina smiled. Deep down she was glad she would get to say goodbye to Owen. They never did goodbyes very well. Neither one of them were very good at them. They usually just left things unsaid and unfinished.

"Owen I can't stay long. Meredith will kill me if I have to go back in and tell her I missed my flight."

"I won't keep you long, but there's just one thing I had to do before you left…" Before Cristina had a chance to react or to even think of his statement, Owen had pulled Cristina into his arms and met his lips with hers. Neither of them could deny the passion that they felt. It was undeniable. When they broke apart, Owen could see the sadness in Cristina's eyes. He held her face in his hands and questioned her.

"Cristina, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm just so sick of goodbyes. I thought I was done with them and here you are and now it's even harder. I mean I love living in Zurich and the work I get to do there, but I miss it here. I miss my friends…I miss you and coming back here gets harder every time because it gets harder to leave every time." Owen grabbed Cristina's hand and squeezed it. He knew he was making this harder for her.

"Cristina, I'm sorry. I want you to go and be happy. Go save lives." Cristina smiled at Owen and thanked him. As they finished their conversation Cristina's cab pulled up. Owen helped her get her suitcase in the trunk and opened the door for her. Before she got in the car she took one more look deep into Owen's eyes and leaned in and kissed him one final time.

"That will help me when I miss you." Owen smiled at her and nodded.

"Come visit me whenever you want." Owen smiled and closed the car door as Cristina got in and waved as he watched the car drive away. Cristina was right, the goodbyes would never get easier, but they also make the hellos more worthwhile when they come around.

* * *

 **So that's it, that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know what you think, I love reading all reviews! Also, if any of you guys have any story idea for me, let me know!**


End file.
